fiction.wikisort.org - Actor

Marina Sirtis (/ˈsɜːrtɪs/; born 29 March 1955) is a British actress. She is best known for her role as Counselor Deanna Troi on the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and four Star Trek feature films, as well as other appearances in the Star Trek franchise.

Marina Sirtis
Sirtis at the 2016 Lucca Comics & Games
Born	(1955-03-29) 29 March 1955 (age 67) London, England
Nationality	British American[1]
Education	Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1977–present
Known for	Star Trek: The Next Generation
Spouse	Michael Lamper ​ ​ (m. 1992; died 2019)​
Website	marinasirtis.tv

Early life

Marina Sirtis was born in Hackney, London,[2] the daughter of Greek parents, Despina, a tailor's assistant, and John Sirtis.[1][3] She was brought up in Harringay, North London.[1][4] When she was three years old, Sirtis says, the teenage sons of her babysitter sexually molested her. Sirtis suffered from an eating disorder, which emerged due to the trauma of the assault. After suffering from the disorder for 20 years, she went into therapy in the 1990s and was able to manage the trauma and learn to eat healthily again.[5]

While still in secondary school, Sirtis secretly auditioned for drama school against her parents' wishes, ultimately being accepted to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.[6]

In 1976, at the age of 21, Sirtis graduated from Guildhall and began her career by joining the Connaught Theatre.[7]

In 1986, Sirtis emigrated to the United States, settling in Los Angeles to boost her career. She later became a naturalized US citizen.[1]

Career

Early work

Sirtis started her career as a member of the repertory company at the Connaught Theatre, Worthing, West Sussex, in 1976. Directed by Nic Young, she appeared in Joe Orton's What the Butler Saw and as Ophelia in Hamlet.[8]

Before her role in Star Trek, Sirtis was featured in supporting roles in several films. In the 1983, Faye Dunaway film, The Wicked Lady, she engaged in a whip fight with Dunaway. In the Charles Bronson sequel Death Wish 3, Sirtis' character is a rape victim. In the film Blind Date, she appears as a sex worker who is murdered by a madman.

Other early works include numerous guest-starring roles on British television series. Sirtis appeared in Raffles (1977), Who Pays the Ferryman (1977), Hazell (1978), Minder (1979), the Jim Davidson sitcom Up the Elephant and Round the Castle (1985), and The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1986). She also played the flight attendant in a 1979 Cinzano Bianco television commercial starring Leonard Rossiter and Joan Collins, in which Collins was splattered with drink.

Star Trek

Star Trek: The Next Generation

In 1986, Sirtis relocated to the United States. When casting Star Trek: The Next Generation, Gene Roddenberry was inspired to ask Sirtis, whose appearance he considered "exotic", to audition for a role after seeing the film Aliens with Bob Justman, which featured the prominent Latina character Vasquez, played by Jenette Goldstein.[9] Sirtis and Denise Crosby initially tried out for each other's eventual roles on The Next Generation. Sirtis' character was going to be named Lt. Macha Hernandez, the Security Chief. Gene Roddenberry decided to switch them, and Macha Hernandez became Tasha Yar. Sirtis recalls that on the day she received the call offering her the role, she was actually packing to return to Britain because her six-month visa had expired.

Deanna Troi is a half-human, half-Betazoid. Her Betazoid abilities allow her to read the emotions of others. Her position on the Enterprise-D is ship's counselor, looking after the crew's well-being and serving as trusted advisor to Captain Picard, with a position next to him on the bridge. Initially, the writers found it difficult to write for Troi and even left her out of four first-season episodes. Sirtis felt her job was in jeopardy after the first season, but was overjoyed when Roddenberry took her aside at Jonathan Frakes' wedding and told her that the season-two premiere episode would centre on Troi.[10]

Sirtis appeared in all seven seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and her character was developed from a more passive therapist to a tougher Starfleet officer. She has stated her favourite episode is season six's "Face of the Enemy", in which she is kidnapped and surgically altered to pose as a Romulan. Troi's switching to a standard Starfleet uniform in the same season in "Chain of Command" elevated the character's dignity in Sirtis' eyes, and her enthusiasm in playing her, with Sirtis commenting, "It covered up my cleavage and, consequently, I got all my brains back, because when you have a cleavage you can't have brains in Hollywood. So I got all my brains back and I was allowed to do things that I hadn't been allowed to do for five or six years. I went on away teams, I was in charge of staff, I had my pips back, I had phasers, I had all the equipment again, and it was fabulous. I was absolutely thrilled."[11]

During her time on the show, she became close friends with her co-stars Jonathan Frakes (who played Commander Riker), Michael Dorn (Lieutenant Worf) and Brent Spiner (who played Lieutenant Commander Data). The latter cast members were groomsmen at her wedding.[12]

She wore black-coloured contact lenses during the seven-year run of Star Trek: The Next Generation and the subsequent films because her character had black eyes.[13] Her own eyes are light brown.

She usually wore hairpieces for her role as Troi. Sirtis' real hair was slightly shorter and, although curly, was not as bouffant as her character's. However, Sirtis' real hair was used in the pilot episode, and also in the first six episodes of season six, in which Troi sported a more natural looking pony-tailed style. She was also asked to create an accent (described as a mixture of Eastern European and Israeli)[14] for her character, although her natural accent is Cockney. Over time, the accent was adjusted and became more Americanized.^{[citation needed]}

Other Star Trek works

Sirtis reprised her character in the feature films Star Trek Generations (1994), Star Trek: First Contact (1996), Star Trek: Insurrection (1998), and Star Trek: Nemesis (2002).

Sirtis was delighted to get the chance to do some comedy in Star Trek: First Contact and said, "I loved it because it opened the door to a different side of Troi we'd never seen before. That door has stayed open and that whole kind of wacky, zany Troi thing has continued into the next movie, which is great for me because I like to do things that are different."[15] Sirtis stated of her role in Star Trek: Nemesis, "I sort of had an inkling that I was going to have a good part in this film because John Logan was such a big fan of the character. So I knew that he would do her some justice."[16]

Sirtis also appeared in Star Trek: Voyager for three episodes toward the end of the series (1999 and 2000), and the series finale of Star Trek: Enterprise (2005). She next returned to her role as Deanna Troi in 2020 in Star Trek: Picard episode "Nepenthe".[17] She also reprised the role in "No Small Parts", the first-season finale of Star Trek: Lower Decks.

Other work

While filming Star Trek: The Next Generation, Sirtis returned to the UK during the hiatus between seasons three and four in 1990 to film a drama special entitled One Last Chance for the BBC. In 1992, she appeared in an episode of the short-lived series The Fifth Corner and had a cameo in the horror/fantasy movie Waxwork II: Lost in Time. After the end of Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1994, Sirtis continued to work regularly. Her first role was a departure from previous work, an abused wife in the series Heaven Help Us.

She provided the voice of Demona in the animated Disney television series Gargoyles for two seasons starting in 1994. Her Next Generation co-stars, Frakes (as the voice of David Xanatos), Spiner and Dorn, also lent their voices to the show. She voiced the character again for an episode of the unmade animated series Team Atlantis.

In 1996, Sirtis starred as a villainous police detective in the British made-for-television movie, Gadgetman. She played a villainess once again when she guest-starred as a race-track owner under investigation following the death of a driver in Diagnosis: Murder in 1998. The independent movie Paradise Lost, with Sirtis in a starring role, was released in 1999.

Beginning in 1999, Sirtis returned to science-fiction television in a number of roles starting with The Outer Limits. The same year, she appeared in Earth: Final Conflict, originally created by Gene Roddenberry. In 2000, she played a Russian scientist in Stargate SG-1. Sirtis was interviewed in the October 2000 issue of SFX magazine in the UK; the cover stated, "Marina Sirtis is Everywhere", also referring to her reprisal of her character Deanna Troi on Star Trek: Voyager.

In 2001, Sirtis made a highly publicised appearance on the long-running British hospital drama Casualty. She played a politician with controversial views on the National Health Service. When she meets with a man with whom she is having an affair at a hotel, she is caught in an explosion. She appeared in the made-for-television movies Terminal Error in 2002 and Net Games in 2003. Also in 2003, she guest-starred in the ABC series Threat Matrix playing a biological-weapons scientist from Iraq.

Sirtis starred in the movie Spectres in 2004, and at ShockerFest International Film Festival, she won the best actress award.[18]

Sirtis had a minor role in the Academy Award-winning ensemble film Crash as the wife of the Persian shopkeeper. Following this, she played another Middle Eastern role on the series The Closer in 2005. In 2006, she had a three-episode recurring role as a love match-maker on Girlfriends, and she guest-starred in Without a Trace. In 2007, Sirtis starred in the SyFy channel production of Grendel, where she played Queen Onela. Independent movies Trade Routes, The Deep Below, and Lesser of Three Evils were released. She provided the voice for Matriarch Benezia in the critically acclaimed video game Mass Effect on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.

In 2008, she made a guest appearance in an episode of the Casualty spin-off show Holby City. The same year, the sci-fi/drama movie Inalienable, written by Star Trek alumnus Walter Koenig, was released. Sirtis said of her role, "I actually play the Deputy Attorney General of the United States, so I'm a bad guy, a mean lawyer, which was fantastic."[19]

The direct-to-DVD sequels Green Street 2 and The Grudge 3, featuring Sirtis, were released in 2009. She co-starred in the British movie 31 North 62 East as the prime minister's top aide; it had a limited theatrical release in the UK. Sirtis guest-starred in the first episode of the short-lived hospital drama Three Rivers. She returned to SyFy in December 2009 in the disaster movie Annihilation Earth.

In 2010, Sirtis guest-starred as a Swiss doctor in two episodes of ABC Family's Make It or Break It. In May 2010, Sirtis announced that she would be providing the voice for comic-book villainess Queen Bee in the Young Justice animated series.[20] She provided her voice for a number of episodes from 2011 until its cancellation in 2013. In March 2011, Sirtis guest-starred on an episode of Grey's Anatomy. She played an Iranian mother who was at the hospital to participate in a medical trial for Alzheimer's disease.[21]

In 2012, the vampire movie Speed Demons, in which Sirtis co-starred, was released to pay-per-view services.[22] The same year, she played a fortune teller in the Castlevania fan-made series posted on YouTube. She accepted a recurring role as director of Mossad on NCIS.[23] Her character, Orli Elbaz, succeeds Eli David (portrayed by Michael Nouri) and was introduced in the season-10 episode "Berlin", which aired in April 2013. She subsequently appeared in the second episode of season 11, which aired in early October 2013, and in the season 13 finale "Family First".

Sirtis voiced the Enterprise's computer in the web series Star Trek Continues.[24][25]

In 2014, she co-starred in the SyFy channel horror movie Finders Keepers. The following year, she appeared in the British film A Dark Reflection, and in 2016, Sirtis starred in the Hallmark Channel movie My Summer Prince.[26] In 2019, Sirtis made her London West End stage debut in Dark Sublime, playing the character of Marianne, a freelance actor and now-forgotten icon of a British sci-fi TV show, whose encounter with a fan changes both of their lives.[27]

Personal life

Sirtis married Michael Lamper, an actor and rock guitarist, in 1992.[5][28] Lamper died in his sleep on 7 December 2019.[29] In 2021, Sirtis moved back to London, citing Lamper's death, growing tensions in America, and a desire for career opportunities in British film and television.[30]

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Note
1983	The Wicked Lady	Jackson's Girl
1984	Blind Date	Hooker
1985	Death Wish 3	Maria Rodriguez
1992	Waxwork II: Lost in Time	Gloria
1994	Star Trek Generations	Counselor Deanna Troi
1996	Star Trek: First Contact
1998	Star Trek: Insurrection
1999	Paradise Lost	Dr. Christine DuMaurier
2002	Star Trek: Nemesis	Counselor Deanna Troi
2002	Terminal Error	Alex
2004	Spectres	Laura Lee
2004	Crash	Shereen
2007	Fist of the Warrior	Mary
2007	The Deep Below	Sarah
2007	Game of Life	Mrs. Rafiki
2008	InAlienable	Attorney Barry
2009	Green Street 2: Stand Your Ground	Veronica Mavis
2009	The Grudge 3	Gretchen
2009	31 North 62 East	Sarah Webber
2014	Finders Keepers	Janine
2014	Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films	Herself
2015	A Dark Reflection	Maggie Jaspar
2016	Little Dead Rotting Hood	Esmerelda Winfield / Grandmother
2017	The Assassin's Apprentice	Miranda
2017	My Christmas Prince	Felicia Holst
2018	5th Passenger	Alana
2020	Max Winslow and the House of Secrets	H.A.V.E.N
2020	Debt Collectors	Mal Reese

Television

Year	Title	Role	Note
1977	Raffles	Faustina
1977	Who Pays the Ferryman?	Ariadne
1978	Hazell	Melina Stassinopolus
1978	The Thief of Baghdad	Harem Girl	TV film
1979	Cinzano commercial	Stewardess	TV commercial
1979	Minder	Stella	Series 1, Episode 6: Aces High...And Sometimes Very Low
1982	Kelly Monteith	Uncredited
1985	Up the Elephant and Round the Castle	Lisa
1986	Room at the Bottom	Carla
1986	Call Me Mister	Sally
1986	The Return of Sherlock Holmes	Lucrezia Venucci	Episode: "The Six Napoleons"
1987	Hunter	Kate Scanlon	Episode: "Down and Under"
1987–1994	Star Trek: The Next Generation	Counselor Deanna Troi	176 Episodes
1988	Reading Rainbow	Herself	Episode: "The Bionic Bunny Show"
1990	One Last Chance	Maria	TV film
1994	Heaven Help Us	Carolyn Paris
1994–1996, 1997	Gargoyles	Demona	Animated series
1996	Gadgetman	Detective Inspector Walker	TV film
1997	Duckman	Aurora Abromowitz	Animated series
1998	Diagnosis: Murder	Mary Ann Eagin
1999	Earth: Final Conflict	Sister Margarette
1999	The Outer Limits	Olivia 'Liv' Kohler	Episode: "The Grell"
1999–2000	Star Trek: Voyager	Counselor Deanna Troi	Episodes: "Pathfinder"; "Life Line"; "Inside Man"
2000	Stargate SG-1	Dr. Svetlana Markova	Episode: "Watergate"
2001	Casualty	Jane Taylor, MP
2003	Threat Matrix	Dr. Nabila Hassan
2005, 2009	Family Guy	Marina Sirtis, Herself	Animated series
2005	The Closer	Layla Moktari	Episode: "L.A. Woman"
2005	Star Trek: Enterprise	Counselor Deanna Troi	Episode: "These Are the Voyages..."
2006	Without a Trace	Alexas Soros
2006	Girlfriends	Gina Richards
2007	Grendel	Queen Wealtheow	TV film
2008	Holby City	Lucy Simmonds
2009	Annihilation Earth	Paxton	TV film
2009	The Cleveland Show	Athena the Greek Prostitute/Woman at Party	Animated series
2009	Green Street 2	Veronica Mavis
2009	Three Rivers	Layla Rahimi
2010	Make It or Break It	Dr. Anna Kleister
2010–2013, 2019	Young Justice	L-4 / Queen Bee / Scientist No. 2
2011	Grey's Anatomy	Sonya Amin
2013	Star Trek Continues	Computer voice
2013	Adventure Time	Samantha	Episode: "The Pit"
2013–2016	NCIS	Mossad Director Orli Elbaz	Episodes: "Berlin", "Past, Present, and Future", "Family First"
2016	My Summer Prince (Hallmark TV movie)	Penelope Sheridan
2017	Scandal	General Fletcher	Episode: "The Box"
2017	OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes	Cosma (voice)	Voice role
2018	The Last Sharknado: It's About Time	Winter
2018	Titans	Marie Granger	Episode: "Hank and Dawn"
2019	The Orville	Schoolteacher	Episode: "Sanctuary"
2020, 2023	Star Trek: Picard	Commander Deanna Troi	TBA (season 3); Guest role (season 1); Episode: ''Nepenthe''
2020	Star Trek: Lower Decks	Commander Deanna Troi (voice)	Episode: "No Small Parts"

Voice acting

• Griffin and Sabine audio series (1993) ... Sabine
• Gargoyles (1994–97) ... Demona
• Mass Effect (Video game) (2007) ... Matriarch Benezia
• Young Justice (2010–12, 2018) ... Queen Bee
• Pilgrim of Eternity (2013) ... Computer (recreation of the Computer from Star Trek: The Original Series)
• Adventure Time (2013) ... Samantha (Episode "The Pit")
• XCOM 2: War of the Chosen (Video Game) (2017) ... Elena Dragunova
• OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes (2017) ... Cosma
• Elite: Dangerous (2018) ... COVAS Carina[31]
• The Worlds of Doctor Who: The Year of Martha Jones (2021) ... Karen

AudioBooks

Year	Title	Role
2015	Rain of the Ghosts	Julia

References

Further reading

• Dillard, JM (1994). Star Trek: A History in Pictures. New York: Pocket Books. ISBN 978-0-671-51149-4.

External links

• Official website
• Marina Sirtis at IMDb 
• Marina Sirtis at the TCM Movie Database
• Marina Sirtis at AllMovie
• Marina Sirtis at Rotten Tomatoes
• Marina Sirtis at TV Guide
• Marina Sirtis discography at Discogs

На других языках

---

[de] Marina Sirtis

Marina Sirtis (* 29. März 1955 in London) ist eine britisch-amerikanische Schauspielerin.

---

- [en] Marina Sirtis

---

[es] Marina Sirtis

Marina Sirtis (29 de marzo 1955) es una actriz anglo-estadounidense, más conocida por su papel de la consejera Deanna Troi en la serie de televisión Star Trek: The Next Generation y los cuatro largometrajes que le siguieron, así como por sus otras apariciones en el resto de series de la franquicia Star Trek.

---

[ru] Сиртис, Марина

Марина Сиртис (англ. Marina Sirtis; род. 29 марта 1955) — американская актриса греческого происхождения, наиболее известная благодаря роли Дианы Трой в телесериале «Звёздный путь: Следующее поколение».

---

---